1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image processing apparatuses in recent years, improved multifunctionalization has increased the number of setting items. Manually setting image processing apparatuses one by one imposes a burden on an operator. Accordingly, there has been provided an image processing apparatus having a function of importing and exporting setting values (hereinafter this function is referred to as an import and export function). Thus, the work load on the operator can be reduced.
Setting values which can be set to an image processing apparatus include values which can be immediately reflected upon rewriting on an operation unit, and values which cannot be immediately reflected upon rewriting on the operation unit and can be reflected only after a restart operation. “Immediately reflected” means that, after the operator has changed any setting value, each function is immediately enabled according to the changed setting value.
If the operator imports setting values by using a setting value import function and the imported setting values are not reflected, a user may have a complaint. For this reason, the setting value import function is provided on the premise that a restart operation is necessary after the operator imports the values by using the setting value import function. However, since a restart operation is necessary even when the operator imports only a setting value which can be immediately reflected, the operator's working hours are increased.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-186228 discusses a technique for managing the setting values which require a restart operation, based on a table when using the setting value import function. In the technique, when a setting value is imported, the imported setting value is compared with a statically provided table. With this technique, the operator needs to perform a restart operation only when a setting value which requires a restart operation is imported.
In the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-186228, it is necessary that the import and export function prestores setting values which require a restart operation, as a table. However, the method for storing setting values of the image processing apparatus may not be limited to a specific one.
More specifically, in addition to setting values managed by a module for managing all setting values, there may exist setting values managed in an application-specific format by an application which uses setting values. In this case, since there exist setting values which cannot be grasped, the import and export function cannot prestore setting values which require a restart operation, as the table. Therefore, there is a problem in that the necessity of a restart operation may not be determined in some cases, even if the import and export function statically manages the table.
Further, if the import and export function statically manages the table for determining the necessity of a restart operation, a certain problem arises. Specifically, the increase in the number of setting values of the image processing apparatus makes it necessary to correct the table managed by the import and export function, thus increasing the maintenance load.